Transesophageal imaging is a minimally invasive method for evaluation and treatment of cardiac and noncardiac disorders. The author discusses uses; advantages and disadvantages; and patient care before, during, and after this procedure.

In the 1970s, transesophageal echocardiography, a method of cardiac imaging, was introduced in the United States. The method was a major advance in the ability to visualize cardiac structures, but it did not produce high-quality images until about the 1980s. In the 1990s, multiplanar imaging (allowing multiple views) with transesophageal echocardiography became available and provided clearer, more precise resolution. Today transesophageal imaging is being used with increased frequency as an adjunct to transthoracic echocardiography and nonexercise stress testing. The procedure provides a new kind of “window” through which to view cardiac structures and assess cardiac function.1,2 Variations of the procedure are performed in cardiac catheterization laboratories and critical care units and during surgical procedures.1...

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